Winter's Coming: 6 Home Inspection Tips to Avoid Costly Home Repair Issues

With winter coming, it is the perfect time to get outside and do a thorough home inspection. Whether you're buying a new home or just want to make sure your current one is ready for winter, it's important to check all aspects of your house—from the roof down to the foundation.

From broken windows and siding to cracked foundations, cold-weather repairs can be costly if you don't catch them early enough. And with unpredictable weather patterns often causing more extreme temperatures this time of year, you'll want to take extra precautions before letting the snow start flyings. Here are six home inspection tips to avoid costly home repairs.

 

Heat pumps need to be inspected.

Heat pumps, a popular choice for homes in colder climates, need to be inspected as well. They're typically less expensive to maintain than traditional furnaces, but if they're not properly maintained or installed, they can cost you more than you bargained for. As with any other home inspection, this should include checking for leaks and ensuring that the heat pump is operating properly. If there's any damage or wear on it (an obvious sign would be peeling paint), it may need replacing sooner rather than later.

To ensure your home's heating system works correctly during winter (and even when it gets hot outside), be sure to have an experienced inspector inspect all aspects of your heating system before winter hits.

Check your roof.

Checking your roofs during a home inspection is an important part of the process. Roofs provide significant protection to your home and can help maintain its value over time.

A roof inspection also allows you to see if there are any issues that need to be addressed, such as leaks or damage, such as mold or water damage. You may want to replace or repair your roof or in touch with a mold cleanup service if you want to avoid any issues in the future.

Make sure your plumbing is ready for a cold winter.

Whether you're expecting a cold winter or not, it's important to prepare your home for extreme temperatures. This can mean installing insulation around pipes or adding a frost protection device to prevent frozen pipes in your bathroom. If you have an unfinished basement, check the walls and flooring for ice dams that form when warm moist air meets with cool surfaces. Make sure your hot water heater is working properly, too—if it breaks down during the winter months after being neglected all summer long, you could be faced with an expensive repair bill!

Make sure all outdoor faucets are turned off before freezing weather arrives, and make sure there aren't any leaks in the lines leading to those faucets. Also, make sure your chimney flue is clear of any debris from last year's fires so that smoke doesn't back up into your house when it's cold outside and create an unpleasant odor throughout the house!

Inspect your chimney.

While you may be thinking about the condition of your roof and plumbing, it's important to remember that your chimney is an important part of your home as well. A chimney collapse can cause damage to surrounding walls and floors, which can result in significant repairs.

Chimneys need regular inspections to ensure that they are safe and functioning properly. Regular inspections will help prevent problems from developing and will make it easier for you to spot any issues that may arise before they become serious problems.

Clear the gutter and downspouts.

During a home inspection, you may be asked to clear the gutters and downspouts on your house. This is because a clogged gutter or downspout can lead to costly repairs and even water damage. Clearing the gutters and downspouts will help you avoid these problems and keep your home in good condition.

Clearing out your gutters and downspouts during a home inspection is easy to do. You will only need a ladder, a hose, and some tools. Once you have cleared out the debris from your gutters, you can use the hose to rinse away any remaining dirt or other debris from inside the gutter itself.

Get an energy audit.

You should get an energy audit during a home inspection to avoid costly repairs because it will give you a good idea of how much your utility bills are going to be and whether you need to make any changes to the way your home is currently being heated or cooled.

An energy audit can also help you identify areas of your home that are drafty or poorly insulated, so that you can make improvements in those areas. An energy audit is usually very inexpensive, so there's no reason not to take advantage of it!